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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. march — the month
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. tube — the underground
  9. fine — high quality
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. tube — a container
  12. bat — the animal
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. pit — in a race
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. march — the month
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. fine — all right
  21. pit — a hole
  22. march — music
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. chair — a leader

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com